Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1887-10-01
WTY n 81 HeITHFE-


a Chlnanan Invites the Christians o.
America TO Come to Confueiua-
The North american ReUiel5 prints
An article by Wong Chin Foo, an able
Chinaman, entitled "Why am /
Heather ?" In which he says:
Born and raised q heather, / learned
and practiced its moral and religious
code; and acting Hereunder was use
fuI to myself and many others. My
conscience was clear, and my hopes as
to future life were undimmed by dis
tracing doubt. But, when about II,
was transferred TO the midst Of
our SNOWY Christian civilization, and at
this impossible period of life Christian
ity presented itself to me at first under
its most alluring aspects; kind Christian
friends became particularly sOhcitous
for my material and religious welfare
and was only too willing to know the
truth. 1. had TO take a good deal for
granted as to the inspiration Of the
Bible-as Is necessary to dO-to Chris
tianiZe a nOn-Christian mind and l
even advanced so far under the spell Of
my WOuld-bs BOul-saYers that seriously
contemplated becoming the bearer of
heavenly tidings to my "benighted"
heather people. But before qualifying
for this high mission, the Christian
doctrine / would teach had to be
learned and here on the threshold I
was bewildered by the multiplicity of
Christian sects, each one claiming
monopoly Of the only and narrow road
| to Heaven.
1--WE heathens believe in the happi-
ness of a common humanity, while the
Christians only practical belief appears
to be mOney-making (gOlden-calf
I au4a HhaEa1 -
to be made by being in the swim as a
| Christian than by being a heather.
| Even a Christian preacher makes more
money IN d year than a heather banker
| in two. i do not blame them for
money making, but for their way Of
making it. How many eminent Chris
tian preachers sincerely believe in all
/ the Christian mysteries they preach
/ And yet it is policy to be apparently IN
| earnest; in fact, some are in real ear
nest rather from the force of habit than
/ Otherwise-like a BoWery auctioneer
| who, to make trade, provides customers,
TOTO keep up the appearance of
rushing business. The more converts
made the more profit to the church,
and the more wealth in the pocket Of
I the dominic. How would the hundreds
/ of thousands of these Christian minis
I LCLD Ii lLG On4LG4 ClElG8 4laA5 llClL
I living if they did not bUlldOZe it out of
| the credulous by making the peWs be-
| lieve what the pulpit does not?
Call US heather, if you viii, the
| Chinese are still superior IN social ad-
ministratlon and social order. Among
| 400, 900, 600 Of Chinese Their are fewer
murders and rObberies In a year than
! there are in New York State. True,
/ China supports luxurious monarch
| whose every Whim must be gratifed;
yet withal, its people are the most
| lightly taxed In the world, having
nothing to pay but from titled soil, rice,
and salt and yet she has not a single
dollar of national debt.
Though we may differ from the
/ Christian in appearance, manners, and
| general ideas Of civilization, we do not
organize into cowardly mobs under the
/ guise Of social or political reform to
/ plumber and murder with impunity
| and we are so far advanced in our
| heathenism as to no longer tolerate
popular feeling or religious prejudice
/ to defeat Justice or cause injustice. We
are simple enough, too, not to allow the
| neglect or abuse Of age, by youth, how
| ever mild the form. The silent tears
of age viii call down the fire of
Heaven upon those who make them
fow.'
~There is more wickedness in the
neighbOrhOOd of a single church district
| Of 1000 people IN New York than
among 1000, 600 heather, churchless,
and unsermonized. Christian talk
/ is long and loud about how to be good
and to act charitably. 1t is all charity
and no PATERNITY there, dog, take
your crust and be thankful And
/ is it, therefore, any wonder there is
more heartbreaking and suicides IN the
| single State of New York in a year
| than in all China? The difference be-
| tween the heather and the Christian is
/ that the heather does good for the
/ sake of doing good. With the Chris
I tian, what little good he does he does
| it for immediate honor and for future
reward he lends to the Lord and wants
j compound interest. In fact, the Chris
tian is the worthy heir OF his religious
ancestors. The only positive point
/ Christians have impressed on heathen-
/ ism is that they would sacrifice religion,
honor, principle, as they do life, for
gold. And then they sanctimOniOusly
| tell the poor heathen: You must save
your soul by believing as we do
DO unto others as you wish they
would do unto yOu,' or Love your
Ineighbor as yourself, is the great di-
alike hold, but which the Christians
| ignore. This is what keeps me the
heather I am and I earnestly invite
/ the Christians of America to come to
/ Confucius.